Bicyclist Pleads Guilty to Injuring Pedestrian in Santa Monica

By
Catherine Lerer
|June 18, 2013

A bicyclist pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon after he injured a pedestrian in Santa Monica.

The accident happened on June 24, 2012. The bicyclist, Rocky Martin, a 38-year-old Los Angeles resident, was eastbound on Santa Monica Blvd. at the Third. St. Promenade. Martin ran a red light and slammed into a 32-year-old female pedestrian who was crossing Santa Monica Blvd. in a marked crosswalk.

The pedestrian suffered serious head and neck injuries.

On May 31st, Martin was sentenced to three years' felony probation and 30 days of community service.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department, they are cracking down on bicyclists, skateboarders and rollerbladers who fail to obey the rules of the road. The police department issued 86 tickets in April and May to bicyclists in Santa Monica who rode on the sidewalk or failed to yield to traffic signals. It is illegal to bicycle on sidewalks in Santa Monica (Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.540).

Santa Monica Police Sergeant Richard Lewis states that the department will focus on bicycle violations from July through September.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a bicyclist's negligence, your are entitled to compensation for your injuries. If the bicyclist has homeowner's or renter's insurance, his insurance may apply to your injury claim. You should speak with a personal injury attorney about your right to compensation.

McGee, Lerer and Associates is a Santa Monica personal injury law firm. Our lawyers represent pedestrians and
bicyclists who have been injured in accidents in which another party was at fault.

In a bicyclist v. bicyclist case we are currently handling, a negligent bicyclist caused injury to our client, also a bicyclist. The negligent bicyclist claimed he had no insurance. Due to the seriousmess of our client's injuries, we decided to file a lawsuit against the defendant and "roll the dice." After the defendant bicyclist was served with a copy of the lawsuit, a homeowner's insurance policy covering the defendant magically appeared and we were able to obtain a substantial settlement for our client.

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